I also noticed that his receivers actually come back to the ball when the QB is scrambling like they are supposed to – unlike some of ours. Maybe we should be looking at those guys too!

Plus I’m running out of shoes to throw at the TV after each Sackseri bone-head play.

1. Wow that kid would look good in a Pitt uniform! He’d look even better in the Script throwbacks, but I digress…

2. Pitt hasn’t had a QB that could run away from people like that since Robert Heygood back in the 70s. Some of you are too young to remember…

3. Tino Sunseri would have managed to turn those open plays into sacks, because he can’t throw a ball that far with a gun to his head.

4. Instead, our local hero would have waited too long for a middle route to open, after which he would throw the ball too (high)(short)(wide)(alternate).

5. With respect, I don’t know what you guys saw: Jared got the ball out in time / just fine.

6. Maybe when it comes to Grand Prairie TX, it’s preferrable to be 1,200 miles away than merely 500 miles?

7. Even if I hadn’t seen the junior tape, all I’d need to know is that Oregon wants him (too).

Good enough for me! And he has one more thing going for him: he’s not Tino Sunseri…

Any word on kids that were being recruited by ex coaching staff ie. Watson et al.

8. I know it’s comparing a junior highlight tape versus one iffy appearance on ESPN-U. But based on these, Jared Johnson looks better than 4-star Chad Voytik. A lot better.

And presumably, JJ’s senior year should be better yet.

It’s not Tino’s fault that he’s a short slow guy with a weak scatter-arm. It IS his fault, however, that he’s stubborn and uncoachable.

I say let some poor and unsuspecting D-III or NAIA team have the pleasure of his services for his senior year.

Hi Imma Man – What I saw was that pretty much all the passes on the highlight reel were broken plays where he throws while scrambling under pressure. Yes, he didn’t take any sacks, but it didn’t look like any of those throws were out when they were designed to be. There’s certainly nothing there that shows the sort of “1,2,3, out” timing like TG’s offense requires, or even a normal pocket pass. Count the seconds from snap to throw. Note also that most or all of those passes were underthrown, but his receivers had the presence of mind to come back to the ball.

So, I don’t know if he’s holding the ball to long there or if he simply has a terrible O-line, but desparately throwing while running from defenders is not what I call getting the ball out on time, whether or not you complete the pass or make a play. Against a higher-level defense, every one of those plays is a potential sack.

I realize this is very small sample but it is supposed to represent his best. I’m not saying he isn’t capable, or that his ability to avoid a sack and still make a play isn’t impressive. I’m just pointing out that given the highlights alone, you can’t really say that he’s definitely a guy who can get the ball out fast enough for this offense. I’m assuming that coaches have seen more than that or they wouldn’t be interested, but what’s there isn’t that impressive in terms of passing IMO. Great running, though.

I want to see someone better at the helm next year as much as you do, but just throwing anyone in there who isn’t Tino isn’t the answer. They need to find the guy with all the pieces in place.

Just a hunch, but I think the “1… 2… 3… and out” were trainign wheels that Todd Graham was forced to put on his dumbed-down (x3) offense so that even dense or stubborn (or both) Tino Sunseri could grasp. He can count to three, can’t he? Rhetorical, the jury’s still out on that.

And the second part of the hunch, if TG had a QB that could actually make a positive play after running around keeping it alive (Tebow-esqe?) — rather than turn into traffic and take stupid sacks all day long (Tino-esqe), he’d take off the training wheels.

It’s about building trust. I wouldn’t trust Tino Sunseri to mow my lawn, but I confess I’ve lost all perspective (and trust) in him. But if a kid like Jared Johnson comes in and runs around but makes plays like he did on his highlight reel (EXACTLY like Oregon’s offense does), then I’d be thrilled. And, I suspect, so would TG.

Just a hunch, but it makes sense to me.

1) If it’s Voytik or someone else as a true freshmen it will get this Triple Option Spread on the road where it needs to be.

2) Playing Sunseri again next year(even the thought makes one ill), is just delaying for another year the implementation of TG’s offense.

3) Another 7-5 or 6-6 season with Sunseri at the helm SERVES NO PURPOSE AT ALL ! (except those of the Sunseri’s and DW) And 7-5 or 6-6 is what you’re going to get, as since Sunseri became the starter, PITT hasn’t beat one quality team.

4) If we’re going to be a middling team next year, I’d rather be a middling team with a freshman qb getting experience in 2012, not 2013.

5) The season ticket sales will be absolutely dreadful if Sunseri is qb and walkup sales will be non-existent. So will take a big hit financially as well.

So we don’t need to find a guy with all the pieces in place, we just need to move on and end Tino time.

It’s been so long at PITT that we’ve actually had a QB that can make plays when the play breaks down, maybe some of you have forgot what that looks like.

When you have a running threat like this kid and someone who has the speed to take it the distance, it opens up the field exponentially. I don’t think a lot of people understand how limited an offense we’re running and how many missed opportunities we had to score points or make big plays with this slow footed, slow thinking Safety playing QB.

I know TG knows, for he had GJ Kinney at Tulsa who regularly ran for over 100 yards and passed for over 250 or 300 yards each game.

Clearly, Emel is a genius.

But it’s even worse. Playing Tino the Magnificent (snicker…) means we’ll stink next year AND 2013 because we’ll be breaking in a rookie QB while presumably starting play in the ACC. Unthinkable.

And (if Sackseri plays next year) while Todd Graham is packing up his office in late December 2013 after being fired for three mediocre (or worse…) seasons, he’ll be kicking himself, muttering to himself, “Why o why did I play that knucklehead uncoachable lost-cause at QB for two years…”

Comment by FRANKCAN 12.13.11 @ 6:56 pm

No Frank, I didn’t see that list, can you post a link to it?

Thanks

And (if Sackseri plays next year) while Todd Graham is packing up his office in late December 2013 after being fired for three mediocre (or worse…) seasons, he’ll be kicking himself, muttering to himself, “Why o why did I play that knucklehead uncoachable lost-cause at QB for two years…”
Comment by Imma Man! Im 40! 12.13.11 @ 7:21 pm

Agree Imma Man

If TG goes 6-6 two seasons and 7-5 for one, IMO, he’ll be gone after year 3. And if that’s because for two of those seasons he played Terrible Tino then he deserves the pink slip after year 3. I would bring in as many QB’s as it takes to make sure Sunseri is wearing a ballcap and holding a clipboard next year.

Sunseri grasped the offense well in the camps and was able to execute the no-huddle fine. His problems lie elsewhere.

But those problems above are pretty much to be expected when instituting an offense that is, execution, terminology, responsibility and scheme wise, 180 degrees different then what was in-place in 2010. It will be better next year regardless of who the QB is and they will have it perfected, IMO, by 2013 when basically every kid on the roster is either Graham’s recruits of DW’s recruits who have had at least two years of it…. and when Sunseri is gone for sure and other QBs have at least one or two years in the system.

Guys, QB height just doesn’t matter in this offense as, when it is working correctly the QB will be in the shotgun getting quick passes off before the DL closes or moving with the ball after faking a handoff on the read-option. Players at 6’0″ will be fine and, really, Sunseri didn’t have many problems with that this season with few passes blocked.

That said, a guy like 5’9″ Ronald Jones would have a hard time of it if he was to play regular QB.

Graham even looking at another HS QB is a pretty big deal as he told Voytik that he would he the only QB recruited this year. Of course that was before the season started. But don’t hold your breath for any other HS QB to waltz in and play before Voytik – Graham is hanging his hat on getting him out on the field as soon as is feasible.

Thabeets – Gonzalez would be a contender only if Dodge devotes all his time in the camps and practices to get AG’s passing up to this level. He just doesn’t have it yet to be able to play regularly.

No matter what we all think about the need for a running QB, Graham’s main focus is still in the passing game – that is where this offense, when run correctly, thrives. Graham has stated that he wants his QB to take off 8-10 times a game. Out of, let’s say 85 offensive plays that is 10%. He is still going to basically split the rest of the snaps between passes and runs at 55-45 if possible so the QB will be throwing around 35 times a game.

This season the staff CALLED, not attempted, 451 passing plays to 431 rushing plays (sacks I counted as called passing plays) which breaks out to averaging 38 passing plays called per game. Gonzalez just can’t handle that at this point.

NotRocket – good that you remember Anderson. I believe he’ll still be on the roster next year and will get a good look during the camps also. His wrist’s condition is pretty serious though.

GC – Watson is still being recruited hard and has narrowed down to two schools – PITT being one and considered the leader.

My point was simply we need to find someone who can definitely make the timing passes and downfield throws, not just someone who can run and scramble. I was only pointing out that there is nothing in the highlight reel that shows this kid doing anything like that, only hurling underthrown passes on the run on broken plays. Again, I don’t know whether or not he can run this offense, that’s for the coaches to decide, but the highlight reel doesn’t show anything that impresses me in terms of passing ability in either of those areas.

I think some people here are no longer capable of looking at this objectively, and get too spun up about everyone who isn’t Tino. I swear, every time some guy that threw a pass in high-school gets mentioned, a bunch of Pitt fans want to make him the QB. I’m not comparing this kid to Tino, nor am I suggesting that Tino should be an option for next season. I’m just trying to move forward and look at the other candidates for what they actually offer, not just obsess about what Tino couldn’t do (which we all already know about). People here need to take a step back and stop looking at every candidate simply as “not-Tino”. I don’t want to trade sacks for interceptions next year.

So (if that’s true) he’ll miss Spring Drills.

I see your point, with one caveat.

Yes, we should look at each guy’s skill set and not just play any old Joe Icanfoggamirror. For example, no need to run you or me out there (if I never played, do I still have D-1 eligibility left? rhetorical…).

But if, for whatever reason, they whiff on recruiting a JC or having somebody else ready (Gonzo? Myers? Anderson?), they still CANNOT think of Tino Sackseri as an option under any circumstances, dude’s toxic, he’s scorched earth.

First of all, TS is a program killer: playing him will cost the school million$ in lost season tix revenue (there is zero point zero chance that I will renew if it means having to watch Local Hero stink up the joint) and lost TV revenue.

Second, TS the Uncoachable is a coach-killer: if my above premise pays out (i.e., TG plays TS and gets fired in 2013), he’ll have cost Todd Graham personal million$. He’ll get canned, plus will be forced to start over at some back-water school.

I don’t criticize (point out? yes; criticize? no)the lad for his obvious lack of physical tools (too short, too slow, weak-armed, scatter-armed, etc.). But I will continue to decry his poor attitude: playing to his own agenda for God knows what reason(s), refusing to listen to his coaches, etc. Fair game.

As any parent knows, a child’s bad behavior is more contagious in siblings than good behavior. In short, if TG plays Boy Wonder next year despite his having exhibited such a crappy attitude, he’ll lose the whole team and fan base in one fell swoop.

Hence, ANYBODY but Tino. On second thought, maybe even you and I (kidding, sorta…).

Reed so Tino grasped the O well in camps and was able to execute the no-huddle fine? What he can catch the ball from Turnley… The only good thing about Tino’s grasp of the O was really a bad thing because this HS darling was the best of a piss-poor lot of QBs. Freakin think about it Reed, our best option insured this team of a mediocre record. He plays more afraid than Stull did when he first started. As for problems lying elsewhere, the team’s primary problem lays at the feet of Tino. I go news for you, Tino will not be the QB next year.

I cannot understand your mantra of Tino being in the mix for the QB position next year. You continue to post of worrying about not enough options next year at QB. Believe me Reed, coach has seen enough of Tino and is smart enough to end that experiment in the bowl game. It was an experiment born out of necessity due to the piss-poor QBs on the roster (thanks DW).